Reality, imagination explored in 'Real/Surreal'

Updated 9:44 am, Friday, March 22, 2013

Federico Castellon's 1938 “The Dark Figure” is part of “Real/Surreal” at the McNay Art Museum.

Federico Castellon's 1938 “The Dark Figure” is part of “Real/Surreal” at the McNay Art Museum.

Photo: Photos Courtesy McNay Art Museum

Image 2 of 2

“State Park” (1946) by Jared French is on display through May 19.

“State Park” (1946) by Jared French is on display through May 19.

Photo: Courtesy McNay Art Museum

Reality, imagination explored in 'Real/Surreal'

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

Salvador Dalí, the artist most identified with surrealism by the masses, once said, “There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.” Although the extravagantly mustachioed Spanish artist might get some argument on that, his point was that rather than having a screw loose he simply wanted to liberate the imagination with his dreamscape paintings.

Surrealism, the art movement that grew out of Paris in the 1920s and went worldwide in the '30s and '40s, is the great rule-breaker of 20th century art. Or, as “Surrealist Manifesto” author André Breton put it, “pure psychic automatism.” Its influences can still be felt.

The exhibition, which also features complementary works from the McNay collection, explores the give and take between two of the strongest currents in 20th-century art: realism and surrealism.

More Information

www.mcnayart.org

Since the exhibition focuses on American artists, there is no Dalí here, no Magritte, but there are some big names in American art, including Joseph Cornell, Philip Guston, Edward Hopper, Man Ray and Andrew Wyeth. “Surrealism wasn't a systematic movement in America the way it was in Europe, where it was much more dogmatic,” Foster said. “American artists felt liberated by it — sort of, 'We can do what we want.'”

There also are discoveries to be made in the exhibition, in not-household-name artists such as Kay Sage, Jared French, Paul Cadmus and Peter Blume. And you'll be surprised at how surreal a hyper-real Wyeth such as “Winter Fields” can be.

“'Real/Surreal' offers visitors a rare opportunity to discover works by American artists who were at the forefront in their day, but whose work has been overshadowed in recent years,” says McNay chief curator Rene Paul Barilleaux. “In addition to Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth, artists such as Peter Blume and Francis Criss immediately come to mind, with excellent examples by both. And the works on view — in particular, the paintings — are filled with beautiful details, masterfully rendered by their creators, which require close looking but offer great visual rewards.”

“Real/Surreal,” says Foster, was inspired by the New York museum's “deep and rich collections.”

“Edward Hopper is often called a realist,” he said, “but I think that's a misnomer. He's a tweaker, grounded in reality, but he gradually put more of his imagination into his paintings. The show is all about trying to find this tension between real and surreal.”

Foster pointed out a Hopper paradox: In a painting such as “Seven A.M.” there is no reflection in the large storefront windows.

“Windows are very important to Hopper, but they never have any glass in them,” he said.

The magical realism of Henry Koerner's “The Barber Shop” is an excellent example of how tensions play out in “Real/Surreal.”

What initially seems to be a fairly regular scene inside a barber shop turns bizarre on closer examination. Why is the barber playing a violin? Why is that monkey crouched in the corner? And is the customer with his head wrapped in a towel a wink to Magritte?

“It's a scene that could take place, but after taking a closer look, it just gets weirder and weirder,” Foster said.

The McNay has enhanced the touring Whitney show with works from its own deep collections.

“The McNay added six works from its collection because they perfectly complement works in 'Real/Surreal,'” said McNay director William Chiego. “The paintings by Eugene Berman, Paul Cadmus, Edward Hopper, Ben Shahn and Miklos Suba are shown alongside works by the same artists or kindred spirits, enhancing our understanding of their work.”

The McNay is part of a multicity tour for “Real/Surreal,” which opened in the fall of 2011.

“It's been very popular,” Foster said. “I think it's because the work is quite accessible. It's representational, so you can relate to it, unlike conceptual or abstract art, which tends to baffle people. There's an immediacy to it, but it's also ambiguous so you can interpret on your own.”